As a blogger, I have had my fair share of dealing with trolls over the last ten years. Trolls are simply very unhappy people who think they should share their nasty thoughts and feelings with others online. The best way to handle them is the same way you handle unpleasant people in real life; you ignore them…
Picture source: Pexels
If you are wondering how to go about dealing with trolls, here are some quick tips you may find pretty handy –
No attention
Attention is a currency which is why we say “pay attention”. I pay no attention to trolls and I just keep doing what I truly enjoy doing. Comments from people who are unsatisfied with their personal lives don’t affect me because I understand the psychology behind trolling. The less you pay attention, the faster the trolls disappear into thin air to find the next space to spew more bitterness. When next you come in contact with a troll, look the other way.
Don’t take it personally
Now, this may be a tricky one at first as I know how easy it is to take things personally when we feel slighted. Having said that, one thing you should always try to remember is that it is never personal. When people are mean, they like to look for an outlet to project all that they have inside of them. Once you understand that, you learn grace, and you let people be people and you don’t take it personally. However, that does not mean you should remain passive. Not taking trolling personally would do wonders for your mental health. Being assertive and paying them no attention (which links back to the first tip) would also help massively.
You cannot please everyone
One thing you need to remember is that you cannot please everybody and you should not even attempt to. It is actually crazy to think you have the capacity to please everybody. There are billions of people on this beautiful planet and you only need a few thousand regular readers to earn a living from your blog. In time, you will find your tribe and your unsatisfied readers would also go on to find the right platform for their reading pleasure. So it is really a win-win situation for all parties involved. Focus on your happy readers.
Use the block button regularly
The block button is my friend on social media and I don’t hesitate to use it. My advice is to block anyone who trolls. There should be no second chances when it comes to dealing with trolls online and in real life. If you don’t like a blog or a blogger, you should really not be on it. Use the block button regularly for your peace of mind, and then you will have one less troll to deal with.
Picture source: Pexels
How do you deal with trolls as a blogger? Do you have any fun experiences to share? Please sound off in the comments section below.
I don’t as a blogger: however my involvement on social media in many various ways can confirm you’re right. These tips are easily transferable.
The power of the block 🚫 button 😊 is the best way, blogger or otherwise. There aren’t just trolls. Bot accounts are very common too depending on what your on about.
The bot accounts on high profile cases, this year alone is running into thr thousands
I agree Carol. The tips are transferrable. The block button is so good..
🙂 One very simple and effective way for bloggers to handle trolls is to manually approve comments.
I agree. I have always manually approved comments. I can’t imagine having it free for all. Thanks for reading.
I love this! The block button is our best friend on social media, particularly blogging. I agree – if someone doesn’t like a blog’s content, they shouldn’t be there. If they can’t move on, we can make that decision for them.
Exactly 😊 thanks Sara.